FVHS Baseball had their opening day on February 1, with speeches from the coaching staff, ball drop fundraiser and more community fun to support the opening of the new season, but more importantly, naming the baseball stadium after a longtime supporter, Tom Hiroyasu.
“He’s a Fountain Valley treasure, like I said during my speech out there. He just deserves this more than anybody, I could ever imagine,” baseball head coach Gerardo Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez has worked to instill a sense of family and love within his team, and Hiroyasu is a direct example of that. Humble, dedicated, and hardworking, Hiroyasu is a current member of the Baron Posse, a group of FVHS Alumni that work to support all sports teams at their games.
Hiroyasu’s work as a contractor led him to begin finding ways to improve the baseball program, where he was a former player and coach of the freshman team beginning in 1989.
“He’s built the [dugout], this locker room area for us, He’s built the stadium, the weight room. He’s done so much for the school,” Gonzalez said. “The school wouldn’t be what it is without him.”
On opening day, the revealed placard formally announcing the christening of Tom Hiroyasu Stadium was met with love and joy from the baseball families.
“Nobody told me anything about this, and I just didn’t know. But it’s a great surprise and a great honor for me,” Hiroyasu said.